Take a look at what is new at Booksby Press!

Well, the Conclave in Asheville was a success! 31 attendees spent four enjoyable days buying, selling, and talking miniature books. There were talks on the history of Hungarian miniature books, Victorian cloth bindings, and miniature artist books among others. While a few new treasures were gotten for the library at Booksby, many books were sold making this the first Conclave that paid for itself.

A sad note: Famed bookseller John Zubal entered into rest May 1st 2023 at the age of 83. By the 1980s Zubal’s Books on Cleveland’s west side was the largest bookstore in the world, and one of the first antiquarian book sellers to transition to internet only sales in the 1990s. Before the transition, I would spend hours browsing the miles of shelves of old and antiquarian books and learning much of the trade while still a high school student. While the business will be carried on by John’s two very capable sons, he will be missed.

While Booksby Press sales were OK at the Parma Bazaar, it still turned out to be a bust as it permanently shut its doors in mid-April. There is, however, a new venue set to open in a month or so nearby so we may try it. I’ll keep you posted of any updates as it gets closer to opening.

The Ann Arbor Dollhouse and Miniature Show is finally upon us. Friday and Saturday, May 12-13, 2023 Booksby press will by set up to sell, so if you are in the area of Ann Arbor stop in and say hello! The address is Wyndam Garden, 2900 Jackson Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 You can check out the show information right here.

Because of preparations for the Conclave and miniature show there is not a lot new to talk about this month.

As noted last month, the new book of poetry by Victoria Rose, Gentile Wonderings is now available on the website. this is how Victoria describes it herself, A collection of poems written over the course of many years, Gentle Wonderings is a series of meditations on the soft, beautiful and yet inevitable parts of life. The beauty of age and gaining in wisdom, the way we are all connected, the indescribable beauty of being alive and enjoying all the delightful sensations of existence. It is a signpost, pointing the way through the chaotic and terrifying mess the world can seem to be, showing there is always something wonderful to be found in the small moments of our lives. Be sure to get your copy today.

Book six of the Book Culture series is also now in production. Titled Three Essays, it is written by yours truly and covers my beginnings as a book collector and some of what I’ve done for the love of books. I am shooting for a late June release for this one.

Design work is under way for the 2023 scarry book by Patrick Hansma. It is to be a short story in the Gothic style of the late 18th century titled Ashtophet. Look for it in early October.

Two essays by James Brogan on cataloging and housing your book collection and several short essays by Dan Danbom titled I Met another Dead Man dealing with what happens to our books when we are gone will be books VII and VIII of the Book Culture series to be published later this year.

The collaboration with Andrea Boltresz , an embroidered edition of Kilmer’s poem Trees with a planned release in December rounds out the planned publications for 2023 right now.

The Poetry book by David Haskel Cohen, Touching the Harp Strings is now in Production and should be available in early June.